Dad and the Army

Dad went into the Army during WWII. He became a 50cal. air cooled machine gunner. He had told me a few times that he really wanted to go into battle. He would get sent to some other outfit and then the outfit he just left would ship out to go to battle areas. He never did go to war. I think that is a good thing. He said that the life expectancy of a machine gunner in battle was like ten or fifteen minutes. It was short anyway. When Dad joined the Army he joined with a friend. They were getting to the end of their enlistment and had been discussing going into the Air force. Dad's enlistment was up before his friend so he joined up with the Air force expecting his friend to do the same but he never did.
My older sister, Janice was born while he was in the Army. I came along while he was in the Air force. Dad was stationed in New Mexico while Mom was having me in Chicago. After I was born we all got together in New Mexico and became a whole family.